Luxury destination just banned all tourists from this country

The Maldives is calling it a move of "resolute solidarity" with the Palestinian people.

Apr 16, 2025 - 20:04

Luxury destination just banned all tourists from this country

Located in the Indian Ocean southwest of India and Sri Lanka, the country officially known as the Republic of Maldives is considered to be one of the world's most remote and luxurious destinations.

Travelers who make it that far often stay at private villas and water bungalows to experience the unparalleled beauty of miles of turquoise waters and untouched white beaches.

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Maldives president ratifies act forbidding Israelis from entering the country

The 187 inhabited islands making up the Maldives are home to 172 resorts where the average night can start at $300 in the off-season and go up to thousands for a full luxury experience with private transportation, butler service, and total paradise-style escapism.

The country, however, just flat-out banned anyone with an Israeli passport from entering its territory. The move is a protest against the Israel's military actions in Gaza. After Islamist terrorist group Hamas attacked the country and took 250 hostages in October 2023, the ensuing war caused the death of over 50,000 Palestinian civilians.

After the proposed law was approved by the legislative body, President Mohamed Muizzu ratified it as a provision of the country's immigration act — as of April 15, no one can use an Israeli passport to enter the territory of the Maldives.

"The ratification reflects the government's firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people," Muizzu said in the announcement while adding that the "Maldives reaffirms its resolute solidarity with the Palestinian cause."

The Maldives is a small island nation off the coast of India.
Image source: Shutterstock

The permanent population of the Maldives is 98% Sunni Muslim; the country is among many other Muslim-majority ones that cut diplomatic ties with Israel over the Gaza war.

Statistics from the Israeli government say that approximately 11,000 of its citizens went to the Maldives in 2024, despite an official advisory against travel to the country being in place for the last year. The ratification also states that Israelis who hold a passport from another country can still use it to enter the Maldives.

The official decision to ban Israelis was voted on last year, but Muizzu has only now formalized it. After a short ceasefire at the start of 2025, Israel has resumed large-scale attacks and airstrikes on Gaza in March. While recent strikes killed several high-ranking Hamas officials, the devastation caused to local infrastructure and the civilian population has been repeatedly called out by human rights organizations.

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"The Maldives continues to advocate for accountability for violations of international law and remains vocal across various international platforms in its condemnation of Israel's actions," Muizzu's statement reads further.

The widescale move to ban anyone with an Israeli passport from the Maldives has immediately been criticized as discriminatory, given that approximately half of the world's Jewish population lives in Israel. The ban also extends to any Palestinians who hold an Israeli passport.

View From The Wing founder Gary Leff called on hotel chains that have resorts in the Maldives — including Marriott (MAR) , Hilton (HLT) and Hyatt (H) — to issue statements against the ban.